Masquerade
by Taryn Streambattle
Summary: He's the only one who knows what goes on behind those innocent eyes. Conspiracy theory. Oneshot.


**Rating:** **K **

**Beta:** None.

**Summary: **A mask, like everything else, is a tool. Orochimaru knows it far too well as the people of Konoha fall for a cunning fox guised as a dove. Conspiracy theory, oneshot. Connected to**_ Checkmate_** (AKA: A Mere Pawn)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. I wish I did so I could CLEAN UP THE MAJOR MESS it has become. Chapter 544 practically confirms my theory.

RIP in advance, Iruka-sensei. If you live, I shall be very very happy. If not... serves Naruto right. A little.

(Suns? Really? Maybe if Iruka had blonde hair people would get the hint.)

**Notes:** Partially inspired by the Justice League episodes "A Better World: Parts I and II." Just the thought sent chills down my spine... It fit well with what I had already written. While I am occasionally tempted, I have a fierce no-bashing policy. I am also an avid conspiracy theorist an like to read under the underneath. Especially when it comes to oh so perfect characters. I am wearing a flame retardant suit. AKA, a water release style suit. :D

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><p><em><strong>Masquerade<strong>_

Orochimaru turned the page in the file, making a note in the margin.

Test Subject: 123763 Experiment: JH7 Status: Success

Behind him, a small hiss echoed off the walls as the seal around the door release. Unconcerned, Orochimaru flipped the pen in his hand. If it was the forces of Konoha coming to get him, then they would break the doors down, not bother wasting time to attempt seal cracking. His partner in crime- he smirked at the sweet irony- was coming. No one else had the right chakra signature to open the seal.

Footsteps marched up the hall and entered the lab. Orochimaru didn't even look up at the goody-two-shoes. "How did your mission go?"

There was a moment of silence, which never boded well when dealing with his partner. Orochimaru sighed.

Finally, the other man spoke. "We lost a man."

Orochimaru detected the beginnings of a sob in this voice and inwardly sighed. Yet another crack in his partner's sanity. "Who? And were you able to blow up the bridge?"

"Yeah, we blew the stupid bridge up. But damn it,"- steel crumbled as Namikase punched the wall- "Obito's gone!" Orochimaru continued working impassively, taking care not to look at the other man. After all, Minato was very concerned about what other people. Namikaze would hate to think that he looked weak in front of his Eternal Rival. Orochimaru could more than sympathize with Minato, but Minato had made it plain early in his career that he didn't want anyone's pity.

There were a few minutes of silence as Minato painstakingly smoothed the cracks in his suave mask. "Actually, I came here for a couple reasons. First, what do you know about Sharingan implants?"

Orochimaru stiffened. No Uchiha would ever give up a Sharingan, even in exchange for the life of a loved one. But then, if there was a dead Uchiha you could harvest the eye from...

"There has never been a successful Sharingan transplant, outside of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan used by Uchiha Madara. Why asking?" _Minato would know better than to try and get one of Obito's eyes. He would lose all support from the Uchiha Clan. In fact, he probably doesn't want an implant. His pride would never let him even if it occured to him. So why is he-_

"Before he died, Obito gave one of his eyes to Kakashi."

"They actually awoke? After all that damage to his eyes?" _Interesting. All the eye experts in Konoha – three from the Uchiha Clan- swore that Obito's Sharingan would never awaken after the eye damage he took in that fire. Very, very interesting..._

"Yes. Apparently battle stress, not skill, awakens the Sharingan."

_Aha! My theory was correct._

"But what I'm more concerned about is the effect it'll have on Kakashi. There's never been a recorded transfer outside of the Uchiha Clan- even an attempted one- and who knows what the side effects could be. So is there a way you could duplicate the operation and test for any side effects?"

"I'll need Sharingan, of course. And a full account of the circumstances at the time. I don't suppose I could interview the medic who completed the transplant?"

"I'll handle all of that. Oh, here's the materials you asked for."

_Finally. _Orochimaru unraveled the scroll and unsealed it, carefully checking the items. A scroll detailing the exact schematics of how Senjutsu worked, excellent. Vials of chakra- all labeled. Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito... he frowned as two things occurred to him. Kushina's chakra was missing from the pile, and Obito's chakra was still a bright spark and hadn't diffused yet.

Which meant he was still alive. More webs woven by the Yellow Flash? No. The emotion at Obito's death was real. So what was going on here?

_Note to self: Send a scout to the Kannabi Bridge._

"Kushina's chakra isn't here," he said aloud, turning to Minato with narrowed eyes.

The Yellow Flash squirmed. "She.. wouldn't let me have hers. Have you, erm, figured out the Taile Beast Ball yet?"

"You didn't keep your end of the deal. Get me Kushina's chakra sample and I'll get you the schematics." _What do you have to gain from concealing Kushina's chakra from me? You said that Obito was dead, and yet his chakra sample is still live. And why are you so interested in the Tailed Beast Ball? You're not a jinchuriki... perhaps you wants to duplicate it?_

"I know, I'll get it," The Yellow Flash said quickly, "In the mean time, I have a... gift for you. They're POWs from Iwagakure, all in good condition. About ten."

_Why would he give me free test subjects when he could turn them over to T&I and increase his reputation even more? Ten... that's enough to last me a week- _Ah_. That's why._

_He's on grief leave for a week. Presumably, since I don't need any more subjects, there won't be anymore disappearances while Minato is in the village, which will enforce the idea that the snatchers are afraid of him, which also points to the "saviour" status he keeps hinting at._

_Clever boy. Always a step ahead of the people.  
><em>

__Note to self: Raid the orphanage in three days. Kushina's birthday.  
><em>_

_ Let's see you handle that, Namikaze  
><em>

"Thank you," the Snake chuunin said aloud, "I can certainly use them. However, since you have asked me a for favor- Sharingan testing, remember?- I'm going to ask one of you." _  
><em>

"Yeah? Shoot."

"Can you get the theories on cells? I know these findings are relatively new, but I can use the information to design more effective tests."

"Consider it done."

He glanced at the clock. "Best get back to your fan club. I expect they'll be missing you."

"Hah, you just wish you _had_ a fan club," the jounin retorted as he walked out the door.

Orochimaru smiled to himself as he began shelving his new chakra samples. Once he figured out Minato's mind, it was easy to discern his motives. Everything Minato did had an purpose behind it. His two main objectives were A) win Kushina's heart and B) protect the Leaf village. And when Minato had a goal, nothing stopped him from achieving it- not even a few innocent lives.

When Kushina had been captured by Cloud nin, Minato did not hesitate to slaughter every single one of them. If he had waited and gathered a team, not only would the team have been able to capture the Cloud nin alive and get valuable information, but poor Uchiha Fugaku may not have a broken heart right now.

Impressing his lady fair was far more important to Minato than the interests of the Leaf. Not that he wasn't serious about the Leaf Village's protection, but if he had to choose between the village and Kushina, Orochimaru had no doubt that he would pick Kushina. That was probably another reason that Minato discreetly hyped up the "saviour" title while acting like a humble civilian-born pacifist. Minato knew that Kushina loved peace, therefore, she would also love the man who gave it to her people.

Also stemming from these goals was this experiment facility. It had been purely Minato's idea. The test subjects would be POWs, missing nin, or children that nobody wanted. Their useless lives would serve as stones paving the road to a golden age for the Leaf Village, as the Yellow Flash had put it to him. And it would get Danzo's approval, woul woul be instrumental in throwing smoke over the old geezer's eyes. Minato had been forced to ask Orochimaru for help, something that the Sannin would never let Namikaze live down, because the jounin knew nothing about medical science or anatomy. The only reason Orochimaru had accepted the position, despite the fact that the temptation to turn the Yellow Flash's proposal down and expose Minato for his true colors was nearly unbearable, it would get him closer to his own dream of learning every jutsu in the world. Better still, he would be authorized by Danzou and Minato.

No one could touch him. Not without a swift and rapid drainage from their bank account.

Despite that, they had almost been caught a few times. The largest threat had been Hatake Sakumo. The fools in his snatching corps had misunderstood his orders and made the mistake of swiping Hatake's second child from the cradle. The fact that the jounin had lost his first child during a long and difficult birth that nearly claimed his wife as well only sharpened the pain. Enraged, Sakumo made it a personal mission to hunt down the kidnappers. Orochimaru and Minato both knew that Sakumo would never give up until the kidnappers were decaying in hell.

Minato had told Orochimaru to take care of it, and Orochimaru's first instinct was to let Hatake in on this, but in his heart, the Sannin knew that Hatake's strict moral code would never let him take part in it._ A pity... we could have used him.__ How was I supposed to know that by "take care of it" the Yellow Flash meant "Give the angry Hatake his kid back to make him shut up" not "Take advantage of the jounin's emotional issues to get him out of the way?"  
><em>

Orochimaru felt a twinge of emotion at the thought of killing his own student... no. All he had done was... manipulate certain events. The choice he left to Sakumo. Sakumo chose to take his own life, and nothing on this earth could have forced a Hatake into doing something he didn't want to do.

That was probably the reason Namikaze wanted Kakashi on his team. Minato was partly responsible for the events leading to Sakumo's demise, so he tried to alleviate the guilt by taking Hatake's son under his wing. He even had the gall to sign his name as Kakashi's legal guardian.

It only proved what Orochimaru had long suspected: jounin were stuck-up, selfish pigs. Orochimaru had seen the way Minato acted in public and undercover. He deliberately hyped up his reputation to make his battles easier, killed an unnecessary person or two to overemphasize his point- all while holding his mask of humility and pacifism aloft for all of simple minds to flock to like moths to a flame.

Jiraiya had taught the boy too well. Minato was a ruthless, dangerous opponent.

And only Orochimaru seemed to know it.


End file.
